NEW DELHI/OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada expelled six Indian diplomats including the high commissioner on Monday, linking them to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader and alleging a broader effort to target Indian dissidents in Canada. Moreover, the decision that Canada expels India diplomats marks a significant escalation in their ongoing disagreements. #CanadaExpelsIndiaDiplomats
Earlier in the day, India retaliated by expelling six high-ranking Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner. India also stated that it had withdrawn its envoy from Canada. This directly contradicted Canada’s earlier statement of expulsion.
The diplomatic row marks a significant deterioration of relations between the two Commonwealth countries. Ties have worsened since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement last year. He claimed to have evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
The government now has “clear and compelling evidence that agents of the government of India have engaged in and continue to engage in activities that pose a significant threat to public safety,” Trudeau said at a news conference.
These activities involved clandestine information gathering techniques, coercive behaviour, targeting South Asian Canadians and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder, he said.
“This is unacceptable,” he said, adding that India had committed a fundamental error by engaging in criminal activities in Canada.
India has long denied Trudeau’s accusations. On Monday, it dismissed Canada’s move on the inquiry and accused Trudeau of pursuing a “political agenda.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in an earlier news conference the government of India had undertaken a broad campaign against Indian dissidents including homicides and extortion. It had also used organised crime to target the South Asian community in Canada and interfered in democratic processes, police said. #CanadaExpelsIndiaDiplomats
“The decision to expel these individuals was made with great consideration and only after the RCMP gathered ample, clear and concrete evidence which identified six individuals as persons of interest in the Nijjar case,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
India Strongly Denies Allegations After Canada Expels India Diplomats
Consequently, both nations are now facing a strained relationship, with India strongly denying the accusations. Furthermore, India’s response to the move that Canada expels India diplomats has been swift and firm. New Delhi condemned the expulsions and called them unfounded.
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